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Wednesday, October 12, 2016

NAJIB SHIVERS: CAN JOHOR SULTAN GET THE 5 VOTES NEEDED TO BECOME THE NEXT AGONG

The Sultan of Johor, Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar, today chaired the 242nd Meeting of the Conference of Rulers at Istana Negara in Kuala Lumpur.

The two-day meeting is attended by all the royal Malay rulers, accompanied by their respective menteri besar, while the Yang di-Pertua Negeri of Malacca, Penang, Sabah and Sarawak are accompanied by their chief ministers.

The Special Meeting of the Conference of Rulers will take place on Friday to elect the next Yang di-Pertuan Agong, the 15th.

The current Agong is Tuanku Abdul Halim Mu’adzam Shah, the Sultan of Kedah, whose five-year term, effective from Dec 13, 2011, will end this Dec 12.

Based on the rotation system set by the Conference of Rulers, the Sultan of Kelantan, Sultan Muhammad V, is the next in line as Yang di-Pertuan Agong.

There are a number of factors to be considered by the Conference of Rulers in selecting the succeeding Agong, such as the candidate being agreeable to assuming the post and is not physically or mentally incapacitated.

Besides that, the candidate should be a state ruler, receive the support of at least five other rulers and has not held the post of Yang di-Pertuan Agong for two consecutive terms.

In the normal process, before the selection process begins, the Keeper of the Rulers’ Seal will ask the next in line in the list on whether he is prepared to be chosen as the next Agong.

The nine royal rulers will vote, through secret ballot, and if the candidate receives at least five votes, he will officially be the next Yang di-Pertuan Agong.

The process is repeated for the post of Deputy Yang di-Pertuan Agong, who will act on behalf of the Agong during His Majesty’s absence or due to illness.